Overview

• Officials confirmed Reaper’s final operational flight and formal retirement in October 2025 after nearly two decades in service.
• The platform entered service in 2007 for Afghanistan operations and later supported Operation Shader in Iraq and Syria, accruing more than 173,000 flying hours.
• XIII Squadron at RAF Waddington most recently flew the type as RPAS crews gained formal recognition, with 39 Squadron operating until its 2022 disbandment and the two units logging nearly 150,000 hours on HERRICK and SHADER.
• Protector brings over 40 hours of endurance, advanced sensors and enhanced weapons, with UK Military Aviation Authority certification granted in May 2025 for routine use in unsegregated UK airspace.
• Initial Protectors arrived at RAF Waddington in June 2025, with initial operational capability targeted by the end of 2025 and full capability planned for 2026, covering ISR, search and rescue and armed missions alongside NATO partners.